There is a perception that people who want to see the harbor go to Fort Allen Park or the Eastern Promenade instead of standing on the Fore Street sidewalk by the Portland Co.

This is not true. People do stand there to take in the view. They take pictures, pull their cars over to watch the cruise ships come and go, watch the sunrise or the tugboats guiding the tankers.

The Duck Boats and tour buses stop right above the Portland Co. and talk to their patrons about the working harbor, the islands and ferries, the vital fishing industry and the history of the Portland Co. itself.

But people stop here every day, all year long. I have watched them and taken photos of them to prove that this sweeping vista is a valuable public amenity. It is important for visitors (and residents) to see firsthand that Portland is more than just a tourist destination. It is a living, breathing, working port city.

It is unconscionable that someone should be able to sell this view out from under the general population, especially considering that the intention of a prior City Council was to retain these views for future generations.

I believe these views are worth fighting for. Development of this property is essential and offers great potential for Portland and surrounding neighborhoods. I am not anti-development, but I firmly believe that development can and must be done responsibly and respectfully.

There is plenty of profit to be gained without devastating one of the city’s great jewels, its public vistas. Once the views are gone, they are gone forever.

Michelle McGee

Portland

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